Dog Articles

Potty training is certainly no walk in the park — though it may involve some! Every puppy is different, and everybody’s living situation and schedule is different, too. Just as there’s no “one size fits all” recipe for potty training puppies, there's also a whole range of potential reasons why your pup might not be picking up on this important life skill as quickly as you were expecting (and hoping).

There are three types of dogs in this world: dogs that don’t care about fetch, dogs that fetch but don’t retrieve, and Labradors.

Unless you have a Labrador or live in a perfect 1950s Pleasantville, (in which case you probably have a Labrador) you’ve most likely had to face the crushing reality that a lot of dogs don’t have the fetch instinct.

Plenty of dogs will happily run after a thrown toy, but then refuse to bring it back — or they might pick up the toy and make you chase them around just for funsies. Other dogs are more interested in the hair between their toes than the fetch toy you’re trying to get them excited about.

What could possibly be more adorable than a happy, bouncing puppy, amirite?

But most would agree that a bouncing 20, 30, or 50-pound adult dog is decidedly less cute.

Lots of puppies greet people by jumping. This is because dogs greet other dogs by sniffing each other’s faces… and other regions. When your puppy is bouncing like a fluffy little wind-up toy, they want to get up high enough to greet you properly. It’s no surprise that most people are happy to oblige their little ball of energy, scoop them up, and enjoy a few puppy kisses. But this becomes less cute with an adult dog. It might even stop being cute when they're still a puppy, like on those days when you only want to get through the front door without being accosted.

While your new puppy’s sleep schedule might not (yet) be in sync with yours, there are still plenty of things you can do to help both of you get as much sleep as possible. For the first several nights and weeks, you should make peace with the fact that you’re just not going to get a full night’s sleep. But the time and dedication you put in now will help you reach that point sooner (before sleep deprivation makes you start speaking in tongues to shadow people). Check out the tips below so you and your puppy can get back to that deep REM sleep as soon as possible.

Much like human babies, puppies explore their new surroundings by taking anything and everything they find and putting it in their mouth. Unlike human babies, a puppy’s mouth is not filled with soft gums, but needle-like teeth. It can be surprising just how much it hurts the first time a puppy chomps down on your arm or finger. But the real problem is when you realize that those cute little puppy bites might turn into a permanent habit, which is definitely not as cute or harmless in an adult dog.

If you have spent any time researching cannabis for dogs, and specifically cannabidiol (CBD), you have probably found yourself wondering whether these products are safe, and even if they will offer any real benefits for your pained, anxious, or elderly dog.

The simple story about CBD is that there is no simple story about CBD. Though CBD is a non-psychoactive chemical derived from cannabis that won’t get people or animals high like tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), it still falls into both a medical and bureaucratic black hole where it can be nearly impossible to extract definitive information.

But we have done our best to stare into the CBD abyss and pull out as much as possible to help you decide whether it might be good for your dog. As you’ll soon see, vets are placed in a difficult position when talking about these products, but you will hopefully walk away from this article with enough information to help you make a more-informed decision.

Your puppy is settling into their new home and you’ve picked out the best food you could find (and afford). Or maybe you’ve kept the food they were fed by their breeder or at the shelter. But for some reason your puppy has no interest in their meals.

This can be — and very well may be — a concerning sign in a puppy. And it’s a big concern in a very young or small puppy, as they have less ability to sustain themselves without enough calories. Read on to see why your puppy might not be eating and what to do about it.

Nearly every dog owner has the same worry about letting a dog off their leash: What if they don’t come back?

It’s not hard to imagine the reasons for keeping a dog on a leash — safety from cars, other dogs, other people, and potential hazards like rodenticides in public parks — but are there benefits to having your dog off-leash? There certainly can be! Here are a few of the benefits that dogs can experience when they're allowed to go (safely) off-leash:

We hope your dog never goes missing, but it’s an unfortunate reality that dogs can, and do, wander or run away. Rather than get caught off-guard, why not start preparing now? That way, if you do find yourself searching for a lost dog, you’ll know how to get them back home as fast as possible.

Looking to keep your dog happy, healthy, and safe?

Take a look at these 10 Tips... your dog will thank you!

Please do not ask emergency or other specific medical questions about your pets in the blog comments. As an online informational resource, Preventive Vet is unable to and does not provide specific medical advice or counseling. A thorough physical exam, patient history, and an established veterinary-patient-client relationship is required to provide specific medical advice. If you are worried that your pet is having an emergency or if you have specific medical questions related to your pet’s current or chronic medical conditions, please contact or visit your veterinarian, an animal-specific poison control hotline, or your local emergency veterinary care center.

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